Asylum Seekers

Asylum seekers who have had their claims and appeals rejected on Manus Island have been told to prepare for deportation. ABC – By Papua New Guinea correspondent Liam Cochrane Anyone found to be stateless will remain at the Australian-funded detention centre or be transferred to “any location, including correctional institutions”. In documents obtained by the ABC, Papua New Guinea Immigration ... Read More »

A refugee’s visa application would be fast-tracked if they paid a potential $19,000 fee and their family in Australia promised to cover health and welfare costs, under proposals the Abbott government is weighing to cut resettlement costs. WAtoday – Nicole Hasham, Environment and immigration correspondent Refugee advocates say the measures, based on a pilot established by the former Labor government, ... Read More »

International Health and Medical Services referred to the AFP after a series of revelations about it published by Guardian Australia The Guardian – Bridie Jabour, Paul Farrell and Nick Evershed The healthcare providers for asylum seekers in Australian detention have been referred to the federal police over allegations it misled the immigration department about the quality of care. Greens senator ... Read More »

The Labor Party has just announced it will adopt the government’s stance on asylum seekers — that is, it will “turn back the boats”. The Daily Telegraph - Nicole Judge and Kim Vuga Here, the stars of the SBS show “Go Back To Where You Came From” give us their opinion over the question: Should asylum seekers go back to ... Read More »

There can be a middle road between a cruel and inhumane approach to asylum policy and open borders. Labor must find a compassionate, regional response The Guardian - Kristina Keneally Instinctively I dislike the option of boat turnbacks. Towing people away from Australia when they are attempting a perilous journey in order to seek asylum smacks of cruelty. Such action ... Read More »

Further evidence is emerging to challenge the view of asylum seekers as a drain on society. The Age – Dimitria Groutsis and Diane van den Broek The world has watched as more than 50 million people have become displaced by persecution and war. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports that this is the highest number of displaced people ... Read More »

TANYA Plibersek has sought to show solidarity with Labor’s new position on asylum seeker boat turnbacks, saying the party has struck a “terrific position”. Herald Sun – By Colin Brinsden From: AAP THE deputy Labor leader, from the NSW Left, avoided personally voting on the proposal to allow a future Labor government to adopt the policy at the ALP national ... Read More »

Labor asylum seeker policy would double humanitarian places, establish an independent child’s advocate and restore the refugee review tribunal The Guardian – Gabrielle Chan @gabriellechan Bill Shorten declared he would not shirk hard decisions as he argued for Labor to use boat turnbacks in an asylum seeker policy which would double humanitarian places, establish an independent child’s advocate and restore the ... Read More »

A child has been held in immigration detention for at least 1113 days and the Abbott government has accepted just 25 Rohingya refugees despite thousands fleeing persecution, official figures show, raising fresh criticism of Australia’s hardline asylum-seeker stance. WAtoday – Nicole Hasham, Environment and immigration correspondent The revelations follow alarming evidence to a Senate inquiry this week that revealed a child asylum seeker at the Nauru ... Read More »

BBC – Thai prosecutors have indicted 72 people, including politicians and an army general, over the trafficking of migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh. Arrest warrants have been issued for more than 30 others, the attorney general’s office said. The investigation follows the discovery of mass graves, believed to contain the bodies of refugees, in jungle camps near the Thai-Malaysian border ... Read More »